Tools we use:

Small Groups Plugins

Big caveat here guys!

I really REALLY believe that Small Groups should be managed through your Church Management System (ChMS) as opposed to a plugin that does it. As an Executive Pastor I kind of cringe at the thought of having a Small Groups solution that isn't deeply integrated with my ChMS.

That being said, if I had to manage groups through a plugin there's only one I've been able to use to the point that I can actually suggest it. There is one more that I haven't had the opportunity to play with much, but if Elvanto is your ChMS it's worth looking at!

I've only had to use Groups Engine three or four times. Each time it's been easy to handle creation and management from the WordPress Dashboard.

You add your groups on the backend with all the relevant details and drop the shortcode into the page you want to populate your groups on. Though I prefer groups to be tied to my ChMS, Groups Engine is functionally the equivalent of the best ChMS solutions. It also works well with all the themes I recommend.

Price: $99/lifetime

If groups are your thing...

If groups are your 'selling point' in church I want to suggest and unsuggest (that's not a word, but it is now) a few ChMS that I love and are group centric.

This is from my experience working with each of these. If they've made updates that make group management easier, I'd love for you to drop me a line and tell me about it!